RBs on the rebound: Six rushers poised for big turnaround in 2009

"LaDainian Tomlinson. The Chargers' future Hall of Famer had career lows in carries (292) and yards (1,110), and his 11 rushing touchdowns and 52 receptions were one shy of his all-time lows. But look for Tomlinson to bounce back in a big way. He's motivated to quiet critics who believe age 30 is a death sentence -- he'll reach that age June 23 -- and that he's over the hill after carrying the load for eight seasons.

Besides that, Tomlinson should benefit from the return of outside linebacker Shawne Merriman, arguably the league's dominant defensive player and best pass rusher. San Diego struggled to stop opponents over the first half of the season and, consequently, it had to play a lot of catch-up in the fourth quarter. That meant more passes for Philip Rivers -- he ranked eighth in the league with a career-high 141 fourth-quarter attempts -- and fewer rushes for Tomlinson, whose 51 carries were the second-fewest of his career.

Coach Norv Turner undoubtedly would like to reverse those numbers. If the defense is strong, there should be more opportunities to run out the clock, which will mean more carries for Tomlinson, which should mean a big year for the franchise's all-time leading rusher. Injuries slowed Tomlinson early in the season and during the playoffs, but he's healthy now and motivated to show he can still be a dominant force."